Aerospatiale AS350BA accident near Lihue, Hawaii, February 21, 2005
On February 21, 2005 at about 7:33 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS350BA (helicopter), registered N905BK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lihue, Hawaii (Lihue Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance, which resulted in the in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 2005 · about 7:33 pm local time
- Place
- Lihue, Hawaii · Lihue Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350BA · all AS350BAs on the register
- Registration
- N905BK · no longer on the register · serial 2509
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter collided with terrain while hovering in the aft direction prior to takeoff. The tail rotor stinger made contact with elevated terrain, which was 3 to 4 inches higher than the pad from which the helicopter had departed. The stinger dug into the ground, damaging the vertical fin attached to the tail boom. The pilot stated that the helicopter had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,651 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 15,351 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,695.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 15, 2005; 24.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca Arriel 1B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ohana Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: LIH Lihue HI at 7:33 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from LIH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.